The Childfree Life

Those are some incredible landscapes!

^^^ Thanks!

Here's one of Dunluce Castle, just for Arte (and her dad):

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"There is no bad weather, only bad clothes." - Unknown

Place is beautiful when the sun's out. I hear that doesn't happen a lot

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Some people meditate. Some people caffeinate and vegetate.

^^^ It was in the mid-70's and sunny the week before we got here, but it's averaged about 60F since our arrival (which is perfect for me, not so much for the wife).

Heading to the west coast today, and before we leave, they're predicting...80's!

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"There is no bad weather, only bad clothes." - Unknown

Me and the Irish giving directions just don't go together.

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"There is no bad weather, only bad clothes." - Unknown

The view from our window, near Donegal Town:

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"There is no bad weather, only bad clothes." - Unknown

We've had just two examples of "ugly Americans" so far, and it was really more like "clueless Americans."

The first was at Newgrange. A family from Iowa was talking with one of the shuttle drivers who ferry people the couple of miles from the visitor center down to the site.

For those who may not be familiar, Iowa is a huge ag state, especially corn and pork. The wife asked the driver about not seeing very many pigs, "We've had some kind of pork every meal, but all I ever see are sheep and cows. Where are the pigs?"

"Oh, we keep those well away, they smell so bad. They're raised in sheds and you just don't see them when you're driving around all that much," he replied, "But don't worry, we raise plenty of big, fat hogs here, that's for sure!"

That's when the husband, who'd been quiet the whole time, piped up with, "Well, I'll bet they're not as big as the ones we raise in Iowa!"

Why does everything have to be reduced to an I'm-better-than-you dynamic. Can't you just say something complimentary, Dad?

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"There is no bad weather, only bad clothes." - Unknown

^^^ The second example was of a 30-something guy traveling with his parents.

He was apparently just discovering his Irish roots and that led to a further interest in Irish history, and he was annoyingly exuberant about everything.

That was ok, but he was intent on schooling anyone around him on the subject, non-stop, and there's nothing like a young American man telling and old Irish dude what it was like during the Troubles. Yeah, Tyler, I think he probably has an idea.

And I just had a third at breakfast...

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"There is no bad weather, only bad clothes." - Unknown

^^^ The third jerky American we met was at breakfast the other morning. He was loud, condescending, insulting, and boorish.

He was the type of guy who conveniently dropped things like how much his vacation cost, what kind of car he drove, and generally how much better he was at everything than everyone else.

"So, what do you do?," he asked (and he wouldn't ever talk directly to my wife, only to me).

"I'm a software developer, I work for a ba..."

"Software, huh? I know all about that, I'm in the security business. I fix your bad code. Of course, I don't 'work' for anybody, *I* own my own business."

My wife added, "I know what that's like, I own my own business also."

Then he looked at her for a long second, then backed to me and said, "Well, *my* business has quadrupled in the past six years, can she say that?"

That's just one example. He said the Irish should thank the English for their centuries of rule, because they built Ireland then handed it over "to a bunch of bumpkins" - while the B&B owner was serving us breakfast.

He also managed to say the Irish roadway system was somehow too dangerous and not dangerous enough. That was a weird one.

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"There is no bad weather, only bad clothes." - Unknown

Sounds like a real peach.

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The admin formerly known as Force10